FFXIV The Omega Protocol: World first, controversy explained & more
Square EnixWith the release of patch 6.31, we’ve received the next ultimate fight in Final Fantasy XIV, so here’s everything you need to know.
Ultimates are the pinnacle of fights in Final Fantasy XIV, they offer spectacle, challenge, and often epic story moments that never fail to dazzle the player base.
In patch 6.11 we received Dragonsong Reprise, an ultimate based on the main scenario, and the after patches of Heavensward. Now in 6.31, following up on the new 6.3 Gods Revels update, we’ve got the most recent ultimate, The Omega Protocol (TOP), which is based on the Omegascape raid series released with Stormblood.
From when it went live to a rundown of the fight, here’s everything you need to know.
FFXIV The Omega Protocol Release Date & Start Time
The Omega Protocol went live after the scheduled maintenance on 23rd, January 2023, with a 2 AM PST start time.
Below is a full look at when The Omega Protocol kicked off in your local time zone.
| REGION/ TIMEZONE | THE OMEGA PROTOCOL START TIME |
|---|---|
| Pacific Time (PT) | 2 AM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Mexico (CST) | 4 AM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Easter Time (ET) | 5 AM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Canada (EST) | 5 AM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Brazil (BRT) | 7 AM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| London (GMT) | 10 AM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Berlin (CET) | 11 AM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Moscow (MSK) | 1 PM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| India (IST) | 3.30 PM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| China (CST) | 6 PM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Japan (JST) | 7 PM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
| Melbourne (AEDT) | 9 PM – Tuesday, Jan 24th |
FFXIV The Omega Protocol Unlocking Requirements
Like other ultimates, The Omega Protocol requires the player to have cleared the raid tier in which it was released.
For The Omega Protocol, this means clearing Abyssos: The Eighth Circle on Savage Difficulty. Once cleared, players can speak to the Wandering Minstrel in Old Sharlayan (X: 13, Y: 14) to unlock The Omega Protocol.
The Omega Protocol Item Level Requirements in FFXIV
The Omega Protocol has an item level of 635, with a minimum item level requirement of 630 to enter.
Players will either need to use gear from the Abyssos: Savage set or the Augmented Lunar Envoy set to achieve this item level, meaning that you’ll need to be prepared if you want to head into this fight.
In patch 6.4 players will be able to receive gear of higher item level through easier means like dungeons and trials, which should allow more players to enter into the fight.
DPS requirements will likely be tight throughout this fight, so players should ensure that their gear is of top-notch quality if they’re looking to clear it.
Square EnixThe Omega Protocol Theme in FFXIV
The Omega Protocol fits the themes of the Omegascape raids, asking players what would happen Omega found the answer it had sort for. TOP references not only bosses and enemies from this raid series, but will also have returning mechanics from them.
Here’s a list of the known phases in The Omega Protocol:
- Phase 1: Omega
- Phase 2: Omega M and Omega F
- Phase 3: Omega Reconfigured
- Phase 4: Blue Screen
- Phase 5: Dynamis Omega-M and Omega-F
- Phase 6: Alpha Omega
Without spoiling any parts of the fight, Yoshi-P gave us a brief look at the first mechanic in the live letter.
Where to watch the FFXIV Omega Protocol World’s First Race?
The Omega Protocol has yet to be completed by any teams running the World’s first race. There are plenty of streamers and Final Fantasy XIV raid groups running the ultimate, here’s a list of some notable streamers running the fight:
There are plenty of other streamers currently running the first on Twitch, so checking through the Final Fantasy tab will provide plenty of different POVs.
Finally, if you’re looking for a multi-view stream, MogTalk is currently tracking several teams with casters and is a good one to look at if you’re not rooting for a specific team.
World’s First Winners
After the controversy surrounding UNNAMED_ first’s clear of The Omega Protocol, their run was deemed invalid due to the usage of illegal plugins in order to clear.
As such, the first raid team to complete The Omega Protocol officially was Team Neverland, who completed the raid on February 1, 2023.
The Omega Protocol Preparation
Every Ultimate fight in Final Fantasy XIV is extremely difficult and it’s likely The Omega Protocol, so players should be prepared before heading in.
Looking to clear the ultimate for yourself? Here are a few things you should do in preparation.
Form/ Join a Static
Statics are the baseline for clearing hard content within Final Fantasy XIV. Statics are a group of players that agree to meet up a certain amount of times per week and progress through the fight together.
There are several types of statics, casual, midcore, and hardcore, these refer to the amount of time the static is willing to spend progressing a fight per week. Ensuring you find a static that you’re comfortable with is vitally important, as you’ll be spending a good amount of time together progressing the fight.
There are several websites and discord servers you can utilize to find statics, alternatively, Free Companies or FCs can have statics that are looking for players as well.
Prepare Gear
Since the minimum item level of The Omega Protocol is locked at 630 item level, you’ll need to have cleared Abyssos: Savage for gear. Players can also buy item level 620 gear from Radz-At-Han for Tomestones of Causality, and slowly upgrade them to item level 630 using Radiant Materials.
Study the Fights
As The Omega Protocol is based on the Omega raid series, it’s likely there will be mechanics and bosses reprised. Therefore, it’s good preparation to understand what each enemy could potentially have as a mechanic by clearing the Omega raid tiers on the Savage difficulty.
As time passes and the ultimate is cleared, there’ll be strategies developed by groups that can be followed, these strategies are worth studying as a proven method of clearing the fight.